Margaret is someone I just got to know this year along with her husband, Leif, and their small dog they so lovingly adore. They are part of our Origins family. I love her spirit and the wisdom she exudes. Her new book , Scouting the Divine: My Search for God in Wine, Wool, & Wild Honey , just hit the market. I know you’ll love what she has to say. She’s amazing!
Margaret, what are some words that describe you? Authentic. Winsome. Approachable.
What was your spiritual journey like?
Especially as it may relate to some of your challenges. I know you come from a Jewish heritage. I was born with a Jewish father who came to know Yeshua as the Messiah and a Gentile mother so I was raised in a Christian home with hues of Judiasm. While Jesus made himself real to me at a young age, I had a profound encounter with God in college that reshaped my priorities during those years. I would describe my journey with God as “stumbling forward”. I’m never shy about sharing the bruises and scratches as well as the breathtaking vistas I’ve encountered along the way.
When and how did you meet Leif, your husband?
What was it that sealed it in your mind/heart that this was the man? I was signing books in a church café in Sitka, Alaska, for a summer when this six-foot-eight Alaskan walks in and buys two copies. He began appearing wherever I was in town. We became friends. After only six weeks, he invited me to move to Alaska with the intention of pursuing a relationship to become his wife. I only had one response: “No way! Who moves to Alaska for a guy?” I returned to Colorado, but he kept pursuing me me. My mom eventually met Leif and thought I was a fool if I didn’t give the relationship a chance. So I packed up, moved to Alaska, and nine months later we were married. It’s the best thing I ever did.
Why did you write Scouting the Divine?
All too often, when I open the Bible, I feel a sense of disconnect. The stories were written thousands of years ago in a distant culture. In addition, the Bible is written in a primarily agrarian society and I live in a modern urban/suburban world. While I cannot go back in time and experience ancient culture, I can do something about learning more about the agrarian world in which the Bible is written. For Scouting the Divine, I decided to travel to Oregon to spend time with a shepherd, Nebraska to talk to a famer, Colorado to learn from a beekeeper, and Napa Valley to hang out with a vintner. With each individual, I asked, ‘How do you read this, not a theologian, but in light of what you do everyday?’ Their responses change the way I read the Bible.
Why did you choose the metaphors of shepherdess, farmers, bee-keepers and vintners in your book, Scouting the Divine?
Sheep and shepherds graze through the pages of the Bible. Bees are less common, but I was intrigued by the Promised Land being described as a land overflowing with milk and honey. The scripture is written in a primarily agrarian context, so time with a farmer was natural. And the vintner, well, who can ignore John 15?
In your search for God today, where do you still struggle or have difficulty?
Absolutely. Choosing to pursue God is an active choice. Sure, there are some random freebie days when you wake up and all that’s on your mind is God. But actively pursing God is hard word. It requires discipline, making tough choices, saying Yes to some things and No to others. Some days I just don’t feel like it. Other days I’m too tired. But when I choose to pursue God—through prayer, study, solitude, silence or other spiritual disciplines—He is faithful to reward us with His presence and knowing a little bit more about Him.
What truth about God do you frequently find yourself returning to that seems to be the one truth that matters much to you during this stage of your life and why?
In John 21, Jesus goes prophetic on Peter and tells him he’s going to have a difficult future. Peter deflects. Jesus calls Peter, “You follow me!” Those words echo in my heart. “You follow me!” Don’t get distracted by what anyone else is doing. Press your nose so close into my shoulderblades that I’m the only you see and follow.
